A Nice Trip to the Woods
by papillongirl
Summary: A trip to the woods doesn't turn out quite the way Tony and Ziva had planned.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors Note and Disclaimer: If this story seems familiar there is a reason. This is a tribute to my favorite episode of television, an episode of JAG from season 2 called Full Engagement. There is no plagiarism intended, I just wondered what Tony and Ziva would do in a similar situation. I obviously don't own Tony or Ziva, although I would happily take them if someone is offering. (for the record, I know I've said that before but no one has offered yet)_

_This is dedicated to those really great fanfic writers out there. I don't know if you know who you are because I didn't tell you expressly (although I think you should) but I truly do drool when I get that story alert email. I don't know how you do it but send some of that talent my way! _

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_Background: Gibbs has sent Tony and Ziva into the wilderness of Virginia on a mission to find and capture two men who are suspected of being the suppliers in a massive drug ring. Two Navy soldiers have died of overdoses._

The shot rang out and Tony started. He raced over the hill and through the trees, following the sound. "Ziva, Ziva," he whispered. Hoping that she would hear him and he would not be alerting the men they were looking for.

"Tony," she grabbed his arm and pulled him back behind the big oak tree, where she was crouched.

"Are you all right?" he looked her up and down. She gave a quick nod and then gestured to her left.

"They are over there. Two men, heavily armed. There is not enough cover to get closer. If we are going to make a stand it will have to be from here."

"Who was doing the shooting?" Tony asked, slowly regaining his breath.

"The big one was shooting at a bird. I do not know why."

"Because he can, probably," Tony smirked. "We could head back, radio Gibbs and McGee. They'll probably still be here screwing around, taking pot shots at the wildlife." Ziva shook her head with certainty.

"We have been tracking them for three weeks Tony, and we've been out here for nine hours today alone. I am unwilling to take the chance that they will be gone when we return."

"Are you still wearing your vest?" He reached out and touched her back, checking for the extra padding that the Kevlar would provide.

"I took it off several hours ago. It was restricting my movement."

"Ziva, these nut jobs are crazy and you know as well as I do that they aren't likely to go down without a fight. What were you thinking?" She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I do not know, but it is too late to worry about it now. I will be careful."

"This is a really bad idea. Ziva," he hissed as she pulled away to get a better look at the men.

"I will take the big one and you go for the other," she spoke decisively and Tony knew there would be no way to talk her out of her plan. If he refused she would simply go after both men on her own.

"Listen to me," he grabbed hold of her arm firmly. "I'd rather tip them off and have them get away than to have either one of us get hurt out here. There is no cell phone reception and we're God knows how far away from the car. Remember, Gibbs wants to interrogate them so try not to kill them." She just nodded without looking him in the eye.

"Are you ready?" She asked impatiently. He nodded and adjusted his grip on his pistol. "Now," she mouthed and silently slipped around the tree.

The next few minutes were a blur to Tony. There was shouting and gunfire from both sides and when the smoke cleared both of their suspects were lying dead in the clearing. They had traveled only steps from their previous positions.

Tony grimaced. Gibbs would be pissed. He hoped they would be able to find enough evidence without their testimony to prevent him and Ziva from being stuck on desk duty for a month in penance. Not to mention that the paperwork from the shooting would take days.

"Shit," he ran his hand through his hair as he nudged one of the bodies with his foot. "Ziva, I thought we were going to try not to kill them." He looked around for the first time. "Ziva?" She wasn't standing off to the right where he thought he'd seen her last. He spun a quick 360 degrees and she still wasn't there. "Ziva," the volume of his voice increased involuntarily and his heart stuck in his chest.

"Tony," he heard her voice faintly over the sound of the birds who were startled from their nests. He looked around but he still didn't see her.

"Ziva," he shouted again, listening carefully. This time when she responded he was able to follow the sound of her voice. He walked quickly and scanned the ground. It felt like forever before he picked the green of her jacket from the grass surrounding them.

"Hey," he crouched down next to her. "You okay?" He took the hand that she offered him and pulled her to a sitting position before he kneeled down in front of her.

Her skin was pale and her smile sickly as she looked at him. "I am all right Tony, it is just a flesh wound." She moved her other hand away from her thigh and for the first time he saw the blood. It was flowing freely, her hand covered in it.

"Damn it," he pulled off his jacket and pulled his T-shirt over his head, exposing his Kevlar vest. He wadded his shirt up and pressed it against the wound. "What happened?" He asked as he held pressure to her leg.

"That first wild shot wasn't as wild as I had hoped," she said tightly. A fine sheen of sweat broke out over her forehead as she struggled against her rising nausea.

"Can you hold this for a minute?" He asked, and she placed her hands on his shirt where his had been. "I left my pack back there, I think I have some first aid supplies."

She nodded wordlessly and focused on her hands, willing herself not to get sick in front of Tony. She knew that she was in shock. Her ears were ringing and her vision was soft around the edges but the wound wasn't life threatening. She just had to will the pain away and get herself under control before Tony came back. She focused on breathing deep and slow and she lowered her head to her knee.

Tony found her sitting like that when he returned. His heart was racing as he dropped to his knees in front of her. "Ziva?" He reached out and grabbed her shoulder and she looked up. He could see that her eyes were unfocused but she was responding appropriately. "Are you still with me?" He asked quietly. She nodded her assent.

Tony opened his bag and dumped the contents onto the ground. He had a couple of bottles of water, a bottle of Tylenol, an elastic bandage, and a small flask of bourbon that Gibbs had stuck in there earlier. "Here," he pulled his knife out of his pocket and gently moved Ziva's hands away from her leg. He carefully lifted the shirt, trying not to disturb the wound in case it had started to clot.

The bleeding had slowed considerably and he removed the shirt, he sat it on his open bag and used the knife to enlarge the hole in her pants. Ziva was tense beside him but didn't say a word. He poured water on the wound to wash away some of the blood so he could get a better look. There was definitely a hole there, he thought to himself. There was no exit wound and so he surmised that the bullet was still in her leg. "How are you doing?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, "I am fine. How does it look?" She leaned forward to get a better look at her leg.

"It looks painful. We need to get you out of here." He pressed his now bloody shirt back against her leg and wrapped the ace wrap over it to secure it into place. "Do you think you can stand?"

Ziva nodded. "I need a minute though," she panted. The wrapping had been almost as painful as getting shot.

"Here," Tony pulled out the flask. "Take a sip of this, it will help."

Ziva reached out and took the flask from him. Her fingers shook as she removed the top and it didn't go unnoticed by Tony. He watched as she put the bottle to her lips and swallowed. She handed the bottle back to Tony blindly and he screwed the cap back on. He could only watch as she twisted around and began to retch into the grass.

He crawled over to her and supported her by the shoulders, her hair already pulled back in the tight bun that she adopted when they were in the field. When she was done she ran her forearm over her mouth.

She accepted the bottle of water that Tony handed her and rinsed her mouth out. She carefully scooted herself several inches away from her vomit and lay down, throwing her forearm over her eyes.

"Ziva?" Tony asked apprehensively.

"I am so embarrassed," she mumbled with her eyes closed. She did feel slightly better, she thought to herself.

"Why?" Tony asked innocently. "I didn't see anything, did you see anything? I just saw my very tough partner get shot and bandaged up." Ziva felt her lips turn up at his light words. Tony was a good guy, he loved to play the class clown but when it really mattered he could be counted on to be subtle.

Ziva lowered her arm and opened her eyes cautiously. The world didn't seem to be spinning anymore. She pushed herself up on her elbows and slowly sat up all the way. Tony was watching her anxiously.

"Do you think you can stand?" He asked quietly.

"Unless you're planning to carry me. I do not intend to stay here."

Tony grinned as he noticed that a little bit of color had come back into Ziva's cheeks and her voice sounded more like the Ziva he recognized. He reached out and she took his hands. He carefully pulled her into a standing position and she balanced on her left leg. The blood rushed back into her right leg and her thigh throbbed with each heart beat but she was steady.

Tony turned and wrapped his arm around her waist, careful not to pull her off balance. "Lean on me," he almost whispered.

Ziva let him take a small amount of weight and they took an experimental step forward. It didn't feel good but the pain was tolerable. It was going to be a very long walk back to the car.


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours later Ziva wasn't thinking of anything except putting one foot in front of the other and not slowing Tony down more than necessary when she found herself unceremoniously pushed against the rough bark of a tree.

"Here, hang on," he said as he dropped his pack on the ground.

"What's wrong? Why are we stopping?" Ziva came out of her daze with confusion.

"I need a break," he said as he flopped onto the ground. He watched as Ziva carefully lowered herself to the ground, trying not to jar her leg. He did need a break but not nearly as much as she did. She would never ask him to stop or slow down and he didn't want to wound her pride by insinuating that she needed to.

"How far have we come?" She peered back the way they came, trying to pick out anything familiar.

Tony pulled his GPS out of the bag. "We still don't have any cell reception but the GPS is picking up." He fiddled with the settings for a minute. "It looks like we're about nine miles from where we started, give or take."

Ziva toyed absently with some loose pine needles on the ground. "I don't think I'll make it back before dark," she said quietly without meeting his eyes.

"There's no way. We'll travel a little farther and then hunker down for the night. We'll make it back tomorrow. How's the leg feel?" He looked concerned at the blood saturating his shirt, it was starting to seep down the leg of her pants. Traipsing through the forest couldn't be the best thing for her right now but there wasn't an alternative. He wasn't going to leave her alone in the forest and no one would miss them for at least another twenty-four hours.

She shrugged. "It is not so bad now." Tony dug around in his bag and pulled the bottle of Tylenol out triumphantly.

"It's not morphine but it's better than nothing," he said as he shook three pills out into her hand. "Do you want to try another swig of bourbon?"

Ziva grimaced but nodded. She swallowed the pills with the alcohol. It burned all the way down and she coughed but instead of making her nauseated, this time the alcohol ran through her body like fire. It was a nice feeling and she let it carry her away for a moment.

"You ready to keep moving?" Tony asked just as she started to drift off. "I'd like to make it a little farther before it gets dark. It means less walking in the morning.

Ziva nodded and started to struggle to her feet, using the tree to support her.

"Here," Tony jumped up and grabbed her under the arm, lifting her so that she was standing. Ziva surprised herself, instead of feeling indignant and pulling away, she was grateful for the gesture. He put his arm around her again and when he pulled her close she let herself stay pressed securely to his body.

As the last of the sun faded away Tony saw a small grove of trees that seemed to offer a moderate amount of shelter. He led Ziva to them and gently sat her down. "I think this is where we're going to be spending the evening," he said as he began clearing an area to sleep.

"We should keep going. I think we could get another thirty minutes out of the day before it would be unsafe to continue."

"You'll only make it worse if you keep pushing Ziva," Tony replied. "You're exhausted, just sit for a little while." He gathered the sticks and started a small fire that he fed with a few downed limbs he found in the area.

Tony watched Ziva out of the corner of his eye. She was starting to shiver as the sweat dried on her face. He slipped his jacket off and put it over her shoulders. She looked at him gratefully. "You should keep this Tony, you will get cold."

"I'll be warm enough while I'm hunting around for firewood, then we're going to snuggle together for body heat." He grinned at her and she couldn't help smiling back a little.

Tony shuffled around in the dark, picking up dry pieces of wood. He threw them in a pile and sat down next to Ziva. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she paused. "Thank you for everything you've done."

Tony reached up and carefully pulled the pins out of Ziva's hair, letting it fall around her shoulders. He ran his fingers through her hair, combing out the tangles. Her head fell forward and she let him soothe her with his fingers.

"You never told me any of the details of your spontaneous trip back to Israel last month," he spoke casually but she heard the undercurrent of tension in his voice.

"I didn't know that I was supposed to report to you." She turned her head and raised one eyebrow at him. She smiled to soften the words but his hand stilled on the back of her neck.

"I just thought it was odd, you hadn't been back for a visit in three years, you spent all summer there and then you just come home and you're gone again."

"It was, complicated."

"Complicated, you once told me the word complicated was code to make people stop asking questions."

"Exactly. I do not wish to discuss it."

"Is everything okay? Are you okay?" The concern in his voice made tears burn in her eyes. She blinked hard to try to get rid of them.

"I am fine," she swallowed, resigned that Tony was not going to leave the subject alone until she satisfied his curiosity. "My father asked me to return home for a visit."

"Oh," he answered quietly, his fingers resuming their motion on the back of her neck.

"My father had three children and I am all that is left. He is not elderly, but as he says, he is not getting any younger and he would like to see more of me."

"Ziva, I," Tony started but Ziva interrupted him.

"No, you wanted to know. My father did not argue with me when I asked to return to NCIS after Ari's death and I was grateful for that. This time when I returned he asked me to resume my position in Mossad. He promised great things for my career if I returned. My father cried when I told him no. He asked me to come back again to try to persuade me to leave America and stay in Israel where I belong. I am disappointing him but I cannot live there. Ziva ignored the tears trailing down her cheeks but Tony was could see the moisture reflected off the firelight.

He reached out and gently wiped her tears with his thumb. He pulled her close to him and she leaned against his shoulder. "I am sorry Tony, I don't know what is wrong with me."

Tony turned and kissed her head near her ear. "You're in pain, you're tired, and you're hungry. It's been a bad day. Tears are a natural expression of emotion."

"It's not natural for me." Tony pulled her closer and gently placed his chin on top of her head. He didn't say anything, for once not having a witty comeback.

She reached up and touched the spot where his lips had been. "What was that for?" She asked quietly.

"Ziva, I, um," he tripped over his words. "When you were gone and I was on that damn boat in the middle of the ocean I spent a lot of time thinking," he twisted the button on his jacket. "I don't want you to, I mean I think we, we should talk about this another time," he finished weakly.

Ziva looked at him with soft eyes. She reached up and touched his face. "I would like to talk about this, soon."

He smiled and cuddled her close to his chest. There was so much that the two of them needed to say to one another. Things that needed to be said for a long time. He felt like he had started the ball rolling on having that conversation. He held her until he felt her breathing change and he could tell she was asleep.

He leaned back, arranging their bodies to maximize her warmth. He said a little prayer that this adventure would turn out with her none the worse for the wear before he closed his eyes and listened to her breathe until he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony woke up to the glow of sunlight through his eyelids. He felt a comfortable weight in his arms and he held still for a moment while the memory of yesterday came back to him. He carefully slid out from under Ziva and looked around. He pulled out the GPS and used the topographical map to orient himself to the area. It looked like a straight shot from here to the car. They only had to cross a small stream and go up a big hill.

He looked at Ziva. She looked a little flushed this morning but she was strong, probably stronger than he knew and she would tough it out with him. By mid afternoon she would be in a safe warm hospital bed. Abby and the Probie would be hovering and Tony would be getting his ass chewed by Gibbs for letting his partner get hurt. He turned and looked at her as she stirred.

"Tony?" She opened bleary eyes and looked around at their makeshift campsite.

"Hey, how's the leg?" He asked as she moved it experimentally.

"It's okay, I can't feel it."

"You need to get up, get the circulation going."

"What I really need is breakfast and a shower, not necessarily in that order."

"Sorry, but the sooner we get going the sooner you'll get breakfast." He held his hand out and Ziva took it, he pulled her up to him. She took a step on her right leg and stumbled against him. "Easy," he said as he took a few slow steps with her. He stopped near a large rock and let her sit down while he gathered up their meager supplies. He poked around in his pack and came up with a granola bar that had probably been in there since the Clinton administration, but the package was sealed and it was all he could find.

"Hey," he lobbed her the breakfast bar. "You get breakfast after all." She looked at it skeptically but then carefully peeled away the foil and bit into it.

"This isn't half bad Tony," she chewed slowly. "Here," she held half of the bar out to him.

"Nah, you go ahead." Suddenly he heard whistling. He looked at Ziva with wide eyes and grabbed her by the arm. She didn't object as he helped her into the grove of trees and made sure that she wasn't easily visible. Tony looked around and stuffed his weapon into his jacket. He stepped back out and walked forward to greet the stranger.

"Hey man," the hiker startled and greeted Tony. "I didn't see you there," he nodded.

"Hi," Tony gave his most charming smile to the man. "Nice morning isn't it."

"Yeah, you out for a hike?"

"Last hurrah before I get married," Tony grasped for an excuse that would be halfway believable. "I've been out here for a couple days, you're the first person I've seen."

"I'm meeting my brothers a few miles from here. Have a nice hike buddy." They said brief good-bye's and the man walked away.

Tony started off in the other direction but quickly circled back to Ziva.

"Come on," he whispered as he threw their meager supplies back into the bag and pulled her to her feet. "I think that guy is meeting up with the two guys we left in that field yesterday and he's moving a lot faster than we are. We've got to get back to the car and let Gibbs know that there is a third guy in the picture."

"Maybe we should go after him," Ziva replied, turning to look the direction the man had gone and leaning on Tony's arm.

"Are you crazy?" Tony asked indignantly. "We'll be lucky if we make it back to the car before he catches up with us. We are not following him." He took her by the arm and very carefully started forward.

The traveling was slow at first but soon they fell into a rhythm. They were both quiet, concentrating on the terrain and putting one foot in front of the other. Finally they came to the stream that Tony had spotted on the GPS. He looked down at Ziva and even though she'd never say anything, he could see that her energy was flagging.

"Let's get across this stream and we'll take a break okay?" He suggested diplomatically.

She nodded wordlessly and shifted her weight to her uninjured leg. She could feel the slow trickle of blood still traveling the length of her pants and she was surprisingly dizzy. She had received worse injuries through the years but the slow continuous blood loss was starting to get to her.

They stepped into the stream together and Ziva gasped. The water was colder than she expected and she immediately started to shiver. Tony scooped her up in his arms and carefully made his way across the stream. He sat her down on a large rock on the other side and kneeled in front of her. Her feet were wet but he had spared her being wet up to mid thigh the way he was.

"Let me look at your leg," he was gentle when he pulled the bandage and blood soaked T-shirt away from the wound but he still noticed that she winced. "I'm sorry," he said, glancing up at her. "You're still bleeding." He returned the bandage and tried to tighten it slightly.

He studied her face carefully, increasingly alarmed at her flushed cheeks. He put his palm up to her forehead. "You're burning up, that leg is infected, you're going to need antibiotics." Ziva leaned into his hand. "You're going to be okay, we're going to get through this."

"I know," Ziva replied huskily. She didn't move her face away from his hand, content to let the coolness seep into her overheated skin. "Do you hear that?" She asked suddenly. Tony looked around and listened.

"Hear what?" He asked.

"My Ima, she is calling me."

"Ziva, we're out in the woods," he reminded her, growing increasingly concerned.

"I know, but do you not hear my mother calling to me?" She asked again.

"No, listen it's time to go. You're going to be okay. I just need to get you to the hospital." Tony stared suddenly as a crack of rifle fire pierced the quiet.

"Get down," he shouted and grabbed Ziva by the arm and threw them both to the ground. The rock Ziva had been sitting on providing a moderate amount of cover. The landing jarred Ziva and her vision again went soft but her head became clear again. She took several deep breaths and the pain receded slightly.

"Where is it coming from?" She panted.

"Through those trees," he nodded toward a thick grove of pine trees. When she looked that direction she could barely make out the tan of the man's coat. "Come on, we have to get out of here." He pulled on her arm but she pulled away.

"I can't," she pursed her lips together and shook her head again. "I can't. You go, I'll hold him off while you go for help." She pulled her weapon from the holster.

"I'm not leaving here without you," he hissed.

"I'll slow you down. You have a much better chance alone."

"How many rounds do you have left?"

"Five."

"I have four, how long do you think you can hold him off with nine rounds?" Ziva shrugged, having no response to his question. "Look, this isn't the time to argue about this, I'm not leaving here without you. We both go or we both stay."

"Tony," he heard desperation in her voice for the first time. "I can't."

"You have to," he whispered harshly. He pressed his fingers into her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Gibbs just got his team back. And I," he paused and started again. "You're a freaking Mossad assassin. You love to tell us how many ways you can kill us with a paper clip. You are not going to lie here and tell me that you're going to give up because of a little bitty hole in your leg."

"Fine," her voice sounded stronger, he had accomplished his goal by making her angry. She pulled herself up, and using hands and feet started to scale the large hill behind her.

Tony watched as she moved. He stood and shot a couple rounds toward the trees where he knew the perp was hiding and then he hurried after Ziva.

The hill was steep and Ziva grunted with effort as she continued to climb. She felt Tony behind her but she didn't take the time to turn and look. She could hear him breathing and she wasn't surprised when she felt his fingers wrap around her waist. She felt him take some of her weight and she took the opportunity to move faster.

They heard two more shots and the tree next to Ziva's head splintered. She ducked and Tony pulled her away without slowing. Suddenly they crested the hill. Tony stumbled and held Ziva tighter to him. They fell together and slid several feet through the rocks on their butts.

"Are you all right?" He panted.

"I am as all right as I was before." She leaned her head against Tony's shoulder and tried to slow her breathing. "How long do you think we have before he catches up with us?"

"I don't know," he looked back. "I think my shots were pretty accurate, we might have a little while if he stays close to cover. Stay here, I'm going to look around."

She nodded and he scrambled back up to the top of the hill on his belly and looked around. "I don't see anything. Listen, I'm not sure that we can make it back to the car before he catches up. I have a plan, are you game?"

Ziva nodded and Tony hurried to prepare for the arrival of their unwelcome guest.

Tony and Ziva stood across from one another, each behind a large oak tree. Tony looked over at her with concern but she met his gaze and he knew she was with him. They had looked around and this was the only obvious path through this section of the forest.

Tony found them each a big stick and they were prepared. The man they were waiting for came crashing through the trees as if he was the one who designed the ambush.

The two of them swung simultaneously and took the big man down. Tony waited for a minute but the perp made no move to get up. Tony walked over and pulled out his handcuffs. He cuffed his hands behind him. The man was out cold and Tony wasn't inclined to wait until he woke up.

"What do you say we tie him up next to this tree and send the local cops to pick him up?" Tony asked seriously. He looked at Ziva and knew that it was past time to get out of there.

"Sure," she readily agreed. "How far is the car?"

He pulled the GPS out of his pocket and looked at it. "We're only a mile out," he grinned at her. "We can do this. Are you ready?"

Ziva nodded and pulled herself to her feet again. She rested her hands on her knees. "Thank you Tony."

"Don't thank me yet," he said but he grinned in relief.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't long until Tony spotted the car in the distance, a dark blue beacon of safety. He unconsciously sped up and pulled Ziva the rest of the way.

He helped her into the car and then reached across and buckled her in. She leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. He ran the back of his hand down her cheek before closing the door securely.

He leaned against the driver's door and watched her through the window as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. His phone finally had reception. He called information and located the closest hospital and then called Gibbs.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs voice echoed in his ear. "What's the status on the reconnaissance?"

"Your two guys are dead boss, we tried to bring them in but things didn't go so well. Ziva took a round in the thigh. We had to hole up for the night and then this morning we ran into their brother. We managed to ambush him and left him unconscious and tied to a tree. I have the coordinates for the local LEOs. Now we're at the car and I'm taking Ziva to the hospital. I'm really,"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted. "You're rambling, get Ziva to the hospital and I'll meet you there." Tony could hear the worry in his boss's voice.

"Yeah Boss, thanks boss."

Tony slid behind the wheel. He reached out and squeezed Ziva's hand. "Hey," he said quietly. "How are you doing?"

She let her head fall toward him. "I think I'm going to pass out," she slurred.

"Hang in there, the hospital is expecting us, another twenty minutes okay? Stay with me and then I'm sure they'll let you sleep."

"You started to say something back there, what was it?" She struggled to keep her eyes open.

"When?" He glanced at her as he asked and then turned back to the road. He was attempting to imitate Gibbs or Ziva with his driving, he thought wryly."

"You said Gibbs just got the team back together, and then you started to say something else."

"I started to say that I can't lose you again." He didn't meet her eyes when he spoke.

"Tony," she said cautiously. "If you are saying this because I am hurt, or if you are going to take it away tomorrow,"

"Back," Tony interrupted.

"What?" She asked, startled.

"The expression you were looking for is 'take it back' and I'm not going to. I told you that you have eyes that won't shut up. I know you think that I'm oblivious but I'm not. I care about you Ziva, more than I should. I'm afraid though, I'm afraid of ruining everything we have and losing my partner. But at the end of even the longest day I still want you to come home with me and read your books. I want to listen to you criticize my movies and botch all your idioms. I want to be able to touch you. I want to be with you." He looked over at her and saw that her head was turned his direction but her eyes were closed.

"Ziva? Did you hear any of that?" He asked apprehensively.

She nodded silently. "I heard you," she said softly. "And I am going to respond, once I can keep my eyes open again."

"Rest," he rubbed the back of her hand with his fingers. They were only minutes away from the hospital. She nodded almost motionlessly and Tony turned and concentrated on getting her there quickly.

Tony pulled into the parking lot and stopped in the ambulance bay. He knew he would get attention from the staff parked there and he was right. Almost immediately two security guards came out to tell him that he had to move his car. They took one look through the window, saw the blood on Ziva and shouted for a gurney.

Tony wanted to stay with her but by the time he had moved the car where he was instructed she was already in an exam room and the nurse at the front desk wouldn't let him pass. He filled out the standard paperwork and tried to sneak past the nurse but he was stopped and sent to the waiting room.

He paced restlessly, watching as the clock ticked slowly. He was approaching the desk to ask about her again when Gibbs walked through the door. Tony slumped visibly as his boss walked over and clasped him on the shoulder.

"What happened DiNozzo?" He asked, not unkindly. Tony explained the story in detail and then looked up at the clock again.

"What could be taking them so long?" He asked, frustrated with the lack of communication.

Just as he was going to approach the triage nurse again a young doctor stepped through the door. "I'm looking for a Tony DiNozzo," he spoke to the room. Tony approached him and he could feel Gibbs stand up behind him.

"Ms. David is asking for you," he said and turned to escort him back behind the desk. Tony turned to make sure Gibbs was behind him before he followed the doctor.

"Ms. David received a PICC line in interventional radiology. That is a central line that travels to her heart. She is currently receiving a blood transfusion and after that she will need several days of IV antibiotics. She was on her way to becoming septic when you brought her in. Any longer and her chances would have been much worse." He paused at the door.

Tony could see Ziva through the window. She was reclining in the bed with her eyes closed. "The nurse will be here in approximately thirty minutes to take her to the operating room. We will remove the bullet and clean the wound with an antibiotic solution. She also has a hairline fracture of the femur. She will be non-weight bearing for about three weeks. It must have been very painful. How far did you walk?" The doctor asked conversationally.

"About twelve miles," Tony whispered. A lump appeared in his throat.

"Wow," the doctor whistled. "Well, she's a sick girl but she she's obviously tough. She should be all right. You can go in and wait with her until we're ready in the OR."

Tony nodded and the doctor walked away. Gibbs clasped him on the shoulder. "It's not your fault DiNozzo, it's just something that happened." Tony nodded but his heart wasn't in it.

He pushed through the door and sat in the only chair. He reached over and picked up her hand. He thought she was asleep so he was surprised when she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Tony," she cleared her throat. Tony looked around but didn't see a water pitcher in the room. "They won't let me have anything to drink. I'm going to surgery," she read his mind easily.

"Oh, um," he looked away. "How are you doing?" He asked quietly. She lifted their linked hands and stroked his cheek.

"I think I feel better than you look. They gave me good drugs. What is wrong Tony?"

"I'm just sorry," he said simply.

"Sorry for what?" She didn't give him a chance to continue. "You eliminated the threat and you got me here. It was my insistence that we intercept that caused the problem. Please," she turned his face toward hers and leaned in to look in his eyes. "Don't do this okay? Don't carry this around with you the way you carry," she paused, looking for the right word. "Other things. Everything is fine, you do not need to worry."

Tony tried to grin but it was a weak imitation of his normal smile. "Gibbs is here." He changed the subject. "He sent McGee to pick up our guy."

"Alone?" She looked concerned.

"Nah, the locals are going to meet him there, he'll be fine. He made Abby stay at the lab but she'll be here later." Tony started to relax as he talked. He could see Ziva was comfortable. He looked at the window and saw Gibbs standing there patiently. Tony crossed the room and opened the door.

Gibbs walked in and surveyed his team members with a critical eye. Something had changed between them. He was certain that they hadn't broken rule twelve yet, but they were going to. It was inevitable. Tony motioned him toward the chair but he shook his head and leaned up against the side of the bed.

"How are you doing David?" His voice was surprisingly gentle.

"I'm okay but they say I am going to be on crutches for three weeks!" Her voice rose with frustration.

Gibbs just smirked. "You shouldn't have gotten yourself shot then."

Ziva narrowed her eyes at him menacingly but didn't have a chance to say anything as the nurse walked into the room.

"We're ready for you now," she smiled happily at the trio. "You can say goodbye to your friends here and then they will meet you up in your room after you come out of recovery."

Ziva nodded and motioned Tony toward her. She squeezed his hand and gave him an encouraging smile. "Remember what I said and I will see you later, yes?" He smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand in return.

Tony stepped back and Gibbs leaned in. He took her face in both hands and raised one eyebrow. "Do not let him brood Gibbs," she said quietly.

"You worry about you, we'll be here when you wake up," he silently acknowledged her request with an almost imperceptible nod. He gently tapped her on the top of the head. "Next time, you wait for backup." Ziva smiled and nodded.

The nurse injected something into her IV before she could stop her and wheeled her out of the room. Ziva didn't make it through the doors of the OR before she was sleeping soundly.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs and Tony walked to the cafeteria and Gibbs sprang for two of the biggest cups of coffee available. "So," he said conversationally as he watched Tony add an obscene number of sugar packets to his cup. "You want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Tony seemed genuinely surprised.

"Talk about what is going on between you and your partner."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not blind DiNozzo, I've seen the way you look at her, hell I've seen the way she looks at you. Sometimes a near miss makes you see things in a different way."

"Boss, I know you frown on coworkers dating," Tony denied his growing attachment to Ziva.

"Sit," he motioned to a table out of the hearing of anyone else in the cafeteria. "Rule twelve was because of Jenny," he started suddenly. Tony was unsure of the proper response so he nodded silently. "We were partners, she was a probie. Over time one thing led to another. Eventually she had to make a decision between her career and what we had. She chose her career.

I was bitter about that for a long time. She was, she was infuriating. If we'd had more time after she came back I might have broken rule twelve again myself. Lord knows that we both wanted to. It was just never the right time. It's not a good idea, but sometimes," he shrugged. "Keep it out of the office, and try not to hurt each other, but I won't stand between you. You two deserve a chance if you want one.

Tony leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. "I've wanted to be with her since the moment I laid eyes on her. I've screwed things up more than a few times," he chuckled. "She intimidates the hell out of me too."

"She might be the only one who can handle you." Gibbs chuckled. "Let's get upstairs, we'll grab a refill on the way."

They asked for her at the nurses station and were waved into the surgical waiting room. Tony paced nervously, despite the assurances that she was going to be fine. Finally the surgeon came and retrieved them.

He sat down in a chair in front of Tony. "Ziva is resting comfortably," he began. "But we're going to keep her in the ICU overnight. She had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic we gave her as we started the surgery and we had to give her some Epinephrine. We also gave her some IV Benedryl and we're going to do a short round of steroids. It's just a precaution. We'll move her into a regular room in the morning."

Tony felt his heart stop at the news of an allergic reaction and it only slowly began beating again as he took in the news that she was going to be okay. "I need to see her," he blurted out in the middle of the medical speech.

The surgeon smiled. "She's in room 118, the nurse will take you there. She's going to make a full recovery, just give her a few days."

Tony hung his head, the exhaustion that he didn't know he felt hitting him full force. He nodded and stood, leaving Gibbs sitting in the waiting room, and went to find Ziva.

He sat in front of her and watched her sleep. Slowly his hand crept up to capture hers. He brought their hands up to his lips and kissed her fingers softly. "I love you," he whispered quietly. His eyes felt too heavy to keep open any more and he carefully lay his head down next to their joined hands.

Consciousness returned to Ziva slowly. She opened her eyes and then closed them again at the harsh glare of the lights. She cracked one eye open again and took in her surroundings. She was in a hospital room and her right arm was trapped under Tony's head. Tony appeared to be sound asleep beside her. She carefully freed her arm and ran her fingers through his hair. She couldn't help but continue to stroke the silky strands.

She knew the moment he woke up, awareness seemed to come slowly and he held very still as he took in his surroundings. Finally he opened one bleary eye and his hand came up to rub it. "Ziva?" He groaned.

"What are you doing here?" She asked gently.

"I was waiting for you to wake up, I must have fallen asleep." He sat up reluctantly, disengaging himself from her hand. "How do you feel?" He looked at her carefully. "You're in pain," he decided.

Ziva shrugged one shoulder. "Well, I was shot."

"I'll find a nurse or something, tell them you're awake and get you some medicine." He swiveled his head. "Gibbs is around here somewhere, I think." He reached out and touched her forehead. "You look better." He grinned a true DiNozzo grin. "You had me worried there for a minute."

He stood and turned to leave the room but she reached out and snagged his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Tony wait," she sounded unsure of herself. "Last night, I was drowsy but I remember, I mean, I thought," in an uncharacteristic show of uncertainty she twisted her hands together and didn't meet his eyes.

"What is it?" Tony sat down heavily in the chair, afraid of what she was going to say.

"When we were in the car on the way here you said some things and I didn't get a chance to respond."

"Ziva, you don't have to,"

"Do not interrupt please. I want to be with you Tony," she reached up and stroked the soft stubble along his jaw. "You have a good heart, you are a good man. You hide behind all of your pranks and practical jokes. I understand that, but sometimes I am afraid that you will never let me in."

Tony smiled gently. "Kind of like when my questions hit too close to home and you distract me by threatening my extremities?"

"There are things that I have seen and done that no one else should be burdened with."

He reached over and touched her nose with his index finger. "And there are things that I have done that no one else needs to know about."

"So what do we do about that?" She asked shyly.

"I think it will just take time Ziva, I'm willing to work on it."

"I am too," suddenly she looked up at the door. "But Gibbs, he will not approve."

"Gibbs and I talked last night. We have an understanding."

She raised her eyebrow at the statement. "You have an understanding? How hard did he slap your head?" She smiled but didn't wait for a response. "Did you say that you loved me?" She didn't meet his eyes as she asked the question.

"I did, and it might be too soon to say it but I meant it." He gripped her hand in his, afraid of her reaction.

She gently pulled her hand from his and stroked his cheek. "I love you too Tony."

Tony leaned in to capture her lips when the door to Ziva's room opened slowly and a familiar voice called into the room.

"Ziva? Are you awake?" Abby's voice rang out

Tony and Ziva shared a private look and Tony pulled away. "I am awake Abby, come in." Ziva said.

"Oh Ziva," Abby cried as she burst into the room carrying a huge bouquet of pink roses. "I'm so glad you are okay. I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier. Gibbs wouldn't let me leave the lab until I'd processed all the evidence from the men you and Tony shot and then the nurses around here are tyrants and wouldn't let me in." She found a counter and set the flowers down as she babbled on about the trials of getting here. Then she leaned down to hug Ziva carefully, restraining herself to avoid hurting her friend with her exuberance.

"Everything is okay Abby," Ziva reassured. "They are keeping me here for a few days for antibiotics but I will as good as new."

"Timmy is coming too but Gibbs wanted a full report first."

"Is everything okay with the evidence Abs?" Tony asked nervously.

"Oh yes, one of your guys had the name and address of their source in his pocket and their brother, the one you left handcuffed in the woods is singing like a canary."

"That's good Abby," Ziva answered and her eyes drooped slightly.

"Abby, I think Ziva needs some more sleep, why don't we go talk to Gibbs and McGee outside and come back in a little bit."

Abby opened her mouth to protest but Tony took her by the arm and gently led her out of the room. He turned back and looked at Ziva and winked at her. "Sleep," he mouthed and she smiled in return.

When Ziva opened her eyes again Gibbs was sitting in the seat next to her. He handed her a cup of water as she awkwardly cleared her throat. "Where's Tony?" She croaked.

"I sent him home to get some sleep himself. He was barely standing when I saw him. He didn't want to go though," Gibbs gave a very small smile. "When you get out of here you're going to go stay with him, at least until you're back on your feet."

Ziva looked surprised. "What? But I,"

"And what the two of you do during that time and beyond is your business Officer David."

Ziva looked at Gibbs and clearly understood what he was not saying. Her skipped a beat but she kept her voice neutral when she answered. "Thank you Gibbs."

"Don't make me sorry I did this."

"I do not think you will be sorry." Ziva leaned back and closed her eyes with a happy smile.

She woke again and looked at the clock. Three hours had passed. She was frustrated with herself for sleeping so much but she remembered that anesthesia had always taken a day or so to wear off before she felt human again.

She looked over to her right and saw Tony nodding sleepily in a chair. His hand rested beside hers on the bed. She reached out experimentally and took it. He flexed his fingers and she turned her eyes to look at him.

He was staring at her seriously. "I thought Gibbs sent you home to sleep." She rubbed her thumb over the back of his knuckles as she spoke.

Tony nodded. "He did, but when I got there I couldn't lay down."

"You are still tired. I can tell by the circles under your eyes." Tony didn't answer but continued to sit quietly beside her. "Tony," she tried again. "Why can't you sleep at home?" Tony cleared his throat apprehensively. "You are still brooding," she sighed in frustration.

"I'm not brooding, although I am still sorry. I'm sorry that you're hurt. When I was at home what could have happened kept playing in my head and I thought that it would be better to be here and tired than there."

Ziva untangled her hand from Tony's and used her arms to scoot over several inches in the bed. She pushed the covers down and asked, "Would you like to lie here with me?"

Tony smiled and carefully levered himself up on the bed trying not to jostle her leg. Ziva held her arms out and Tony eased into her embrace, laying his head on her shoulder. She was warm and soft in all the right places. Goosebumps raised as she ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, and before he knew it Tony slept.

Ziva watched as the tension drained from Tony's body and felt him slip into a deep sleep. At that moment she realized again that while she was the one who was hurt Tony was the one who was traumatized by this ordeal. She made a silent promise to be there for him.

She grinned as she acknowledged that for the first time there was someone in her life that she was really excited about and she couldn't wait to explore this new opportunity. Maybe this time getting shot would turn out to be a miracle in disguise.

the end


End file.
